The resurgence of the Courtland High School football program continues.
The Cougars rushed for 237 yards and intercepted a pair of passes in an eye-opening 37-20 victory over Louisa on Friday night.
Courtland is off to a 2-0 start after going 7-4 and qualifying for the playoffs for the first time since 2018 last season. This was also the first time it’s beaten perennial power Louisa since 2016.
“It’s been a long time coming,” said Cougars running back Marcus LaRue, who ran for a team-high 69 yards and scored a touchdown. “It feels good to be a part of the team that made a statement by securing a win against [Louisa].
LaRue was one of three Courtland backs to find the end zone against the Lions, as Christian Olivella and Laquann Chew also scored.
The host Cougars weren’t one-dimensional, though. Quarterback Chieftain Watson passed for two scores.
“We had this game marked in our calendar since last year,” said Watson, who also recorded an interception that set up LaRue’s second-quarter score. “It feels great.”
Louisa’s offense boasts the talents of running back Savion Hiter, the No. 1 prospect in the state in the Class of 2026 according to 247 Sports, and wide receiver Dyzier Carter, the No. 4 prospect.
While Hiter rushed for a game-high 92 yards and a pair of touchdowns and Carter caught four passes for 65 yards, Courtland’s defense was able to prevent them from taking over the contest.
“Knowing that Savion and Dyzier were playing made us more determined,” said LaRue, also a linchpin of the Cougars’ defensive line.
Courtland plays its first road game of the year when it travels to North Stafford on Friday.
Black-Hawks, Indians both improve to 2-0
Stafford County rivals Brooke Point and Stafford each posted commanding wins over Spotsylvania County schools on Friday to remain unbeaten.
Brooke Point QB Gabe Dombek went 11 of 17 for 253 yards and four touchdowns as the visiting Black-Hawks routed Spotsylvania 41-20.
Javier Hubbard hauled in two of those scoring strikes, finishing the night with three receptions for 110 yards. Jacob Dalton caught one as well, recording five receptions for 106 yards.
Meanwhile, Michael Creamer and Zion Gray ran for two scores apiece as Stafford steamrolled host Chancellor 41-6.
Gray, the Indians’ quarterback, racked up 112 yards on the ground on just four attempts. Creamer, a running back, had 11 carries for 55 yards.
Brooke Point will visit Independence on Friday, while Stafford welcomes Colgan.
Foxes hold on against Crabbers
King George built a 41-13 lead over host Hampton midway through the third quarter on Saturday, then held off a furious rally for a 41-33 victory.
Foxes’ quarterback Dylan Koch completed 14 of 23 passes for 263 yards and three touchdowns, and Ky’Mani Carpenter tallied four receptions for 117 yards and a pair of scores.
King George (1-1) led 41-13 after Simeon Battle’s 21-yard TD run with 6:28 to go in the third period. But the Crabbers’ Casey Lassiter returned the ensuing kickoff for a score to spark a furious rally.
Lassiter would pick off a Koch pass less than a minute into the fourth quarter, which set up Lavonte Chapman’s 4-yard touchdown run and pulled Hampton within 41-27 with 10:10 to play.
Hampton quarterback Marcus Chapman found Davion Perry for a 33-yard scoring pass that drew the Crabbers within 41-33 with 3:58 left. But the Foxes’ defense stopped Hampton on fourth-and-3 at the King George 18-yard-line with just over a minute remaining to seal the win.
King George plays its first home game of the season Friday when it welcomes Riverbend.
Jackets’ snap losing streak with rout
The James Monroe football team snapped a nine-game losing streak with a 49-0 home victory over Charlottesville Friday night. It’s the first win for JM since a 23-13 triumph over the Black Knights in the second game of the 2023 season.
Freshman quarterback Jude Hardy passed for 252 yards and four touchdowns to bring his total to eight scoring passes on the season.
Hardy connected on two touchdown passes to Jayden Bumbrey and one each to Destin Davis (five receptions, 80 yards) and Jakhi Hayden.
Mike Edwards recorded five catches for 60 yards and also scored on a 24-yard interception return. Tykori Pettus and David Boateng rushed for one touchdown apiece. The JM defense held Charlottesville to 41 total yards (30 rushing, 11 passing).
The Yellow Jackets host Liberty-Bealeton Friday at 7 p.m.
